Posts in the Multicultural Romance genre

Do I even need to introduce this book when Nacho Figueras’ face is benevolently smoldering right on the cover? We’ve got a deliciously tantalizing excerpt of Nacho Figueras Presents: Ride Free by Jessica Whitman right here! And if you love polo playing Lotharios, you’re in luck! Ride Free is out today!

When Sunny started crow-hopping, Enzo Rivas didn’t worry. The big mare had always been hot, and it wasn’t out of character for her to occasionally get a little bored and try to test her rider.

But when Sunny started to buck, Enzo knew something was seriously wrong.

The pony threw her head down, kicked out her legs, and whinnied fearfully, almost sending Enzo out of the saddle. He pressed his knees against the saddle, grabbed the reins, and battled to pull her head back up. She fought him, flinging her head down again and heaving her back legs into the air.

For a moment, he thought he was going to be thrown, and his body automatically tensed, preparing to hit the ground, hard.

It wouldn’t have been the first time Enzo lost his seat to an unruly horse. It was part of his job, after all. Nobody trained horses and didn’t occasionally get thrown. But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t fight it.

Sunny came back down onto all four legs again, and Enzo, sensing a split second of opportunity, yanked the reins sharply to the right, forcing the pony’s head so far over that her nose touched his knee. She screamed in outrage and spun in a circle, but she was powerless to kick her hind legs from this position.

Enzo kept her in that stance, letting her spin as many times as she wanted, speaking to her softly in Spanish, until he could feel her temper start to ebb and her muscles soften, one by one, under him.

He relaxed the reins and let the pony’s head back up. As they cantered forward, he noticed a large, bald-faced hornet floating away from them.

“Ah. Poor girl,” he said, “you got stung.”

Sunny snorted complacently as if in agreement, then reared up, threw Enzo backward into the grass, and bolted, riderless, down the pitch.

Enzo lay there for a moment, the breath knocked out of him, staring at the cloudless Florida sky. It had not been a bad fall, as falls went, and he knew that once he could breathe again, he’d be fine. But he was also pissed, and he knew it would be better to get his temper under control before he chased down the errant horse. It never helped to be mad when dealing with ponies.

“Rivas?” came a distant voice that made him close his eyes and smile ruefully. Of course she would find him like this.

“Enzo, are you okay?”

She was closer.

He struggled to a sitting position, still a little winded but determined not to be on his back when she reached him.

“I’m fine,” he said, and then almost fell over again, he was so dizzy. Damn that horse. He bent his head to his knees and closed his eyes.

Thanks for having me on the blog today! I’m Jamie Wesley, and I write contemporary romance.

I listen to music all the time when I’m writing, during my commute to work, and when I’m at work. I always have my ear half-cocked for songs that fit whatever book I’m working on. Whenever I hear a song that reminds me of a scene or a character, it immediately goes on the playlist for that book. Listening to the playlist as I write helps me to get into the right headspace for the characters and the book.

But music played an even bigger role than just reminding me of a character or a scene in my book, Tell Me Something Good. In case you were wondering, yep, that’s a direct reference to the Rufus & Chaka Khan song by the same title.

Here’s the deal. This novel wouldn’t have existed without the song. Why’s that? Because I had the title of the book before the book existed.

I was driving home from work, flipping through radio stations, when “Tell Me Something Good” came on. As I was singing along to it, it occurred to me that “Tell Me Something Good” would be a great title for a book.

I had no characters, no plot. Just a title. But soon it all started coming to me in waves.

Once I pitched a story idea to an editor who insisted that the main appeal of romance novels was in the discovery of new love. She said we enjoy what happens if both parties seem reluctant to new love. It’s true. We just love it when the discovery can be held off for as long as possible. Lots of television shows have thrived on this premise: Sam and Diane on Cheers, Daphne and Niles on Fraiser, Maddie and David on Moonlighting.

Growing up, a weekend treat or a sick day comfort food was a bowl of noodles. And noodles could be prepared in a multitude of styles. Since I’ve been sick over the last several weeks leading up to release day, I decided to talk about my noodle obsession.

Not only am I dedicating this post to noodles, but I recorded a video. About noodles. Watch, share my noodle obsession, and maybe try some new noodle dishes.

Many of Farrah Rochon’s books, including her New York Sabers and Bayou Dreams series, are on sale for $1.99 each! Farrah writes contemporary romance, set in both small towns and big cities. Her heroes are truly sexy, with an honest vulnerability to them that makes you fall in love.

MAKING A PASS FOR LOVE
All Paige Turner wants is to be taken seriously as a journalist. The entertainment columnist and blogger extraordinaire gets more notoriety than she planned when her scathing review of NFL superstar Torrian Smallwood’s memoir sparks and online confrontation. But that’s nothing compared to the sensual heat that tackles her when she meets the heart-stoppingly sexy athlete face-to-face…

Torrian can’t let Paige derail his dream of a new career as a restaurateur. Even if the sassy, sultry writer is making America’s favorite wide receiver yearn to be on the receiving end of her desire. And with a reality TV cook-off propelling them into the spotlight, Torrian can no longer hide his passionate secret goal–to build a future with the woman who’s making an end run around his heart…

And the first book in her Bayou Dreams series, A Forever Kind of Love:

IS HE HER FOREVER MISTAKE?
Fifteen years ago, Mya Dubois couldn’t get out of her small Louisiana town fast enough. Especially after Corey Anderson showed her what heartbreak really as. Now a family tragedy has brought Mya home to Gauthier- and the man she vowed to forget forever. But when memories flame into rekindled desire, Mya is ready to flee again…before Corey discovers her painful secret.

OR THE LOVE OF HER LIFE?
In high school, Mya was Corey’s girl. Now she’s a sought-after Broadway designer who won’t give the former pro-baseball player the time of day. Until they’re brought together to revive their close-knit community…and their passion is reawakened. This time, Corey isn’t letting her get away. Not when he has a second chance to win back his first-and only-love.

Today I’m here to talk about the art of the sweet romance. I love all kinds of romance movies and books, but sweet romances hold a special place in my heart, and I’m drawn to them, both in what I read and what I write. There’s something awesome about great romantic tension that just builds and builds. I love when I’m screaming for the characters to kiss already! Those kisses that I’ve had to wait for are so satisfying once they actually happen.

Remember the before times, when the only books you read were stories that were recommended to you by family and friends, or assigned in school. Or when you used to steal paperbacks from your mom or grandma because the covers looked racy and sophisticated, and you were ten years old and you totally thought you had the patience and mental capacity to get through Waiting To Exhale. Or maybe you were lucky enough to have a friendly librarian in your life who kept you up to your eyelids in the news titles. Things were simpler then. Reading lists were manageable. You’d finish one and then you’d start the next, EZ-PZ.

Sonali Dev’s highly-acclaimed debut, A Bollywood Affair, is down-priced to $2.99! It’s a contemporary romance that includes an arranged marriage, a forbidden brother, and a woman who’s trying to figure out her present as she charts a course to the future. Here’s the synopsis:

Mili Rathod hasn’t seen her husband in twenty years–not since she was promised to him at the age of four. Yet marriage has allowed Mili a freedom rarely given to girls in her village. Her grandmother has even allowed her to leave India and study in America for eight months, all to make her the perfect modern wife. Which is exactly what Mili longs to be–if her husband would just come and claim her.

Bollywood’s favorite director, Samir Rathod, has come to Michigan to secure a divorce for his older brother. Persuading a naïve village girl to sign the papers should be easy for someone with Samir’s tabloid-famous charm. But Mili is neither a fool nor a gold-digger. Open-hearted yet complex, she’s trying to reconcile her independence with cherished traditions. And before he can stop himself, Samir is immersed in Mili’s life–cooking her dal and rotis, escorting her to her roommate’s elaborate Indian wedding, and wondering where his loyalties and happiness lie.

Sonali releases her next book, The Bollywood Bride, on Tuesday, so it’s a good chance to give her writing a try to see if you like it.

Hey guys! The awesome team here at EverAfter Romance was nice enough to let me kick off 7 Days of So Sweet with a rockin’ giveaway. SEVEN, yes 7 copies of So Sweet are up for grabs. Enter to win and find out what I have in store for the young and beautiful Kayla Davis and her billionaire boo.

Desperate times call for desperate measures…

And desperate is the only way to describe Kayla Davis’s current situation. Out of work and almost out of money to cover her bills, Kayla finally caves to her roommate’s nagging and follows her to Arrangements, an online dating site that matches pretty young women with older men of a certain tax bracket.

Convinced this “make-rent-quick” scheme will surely fail—or saddle her with an 80 year old boyfriend—Kayla is shocked when Michael Bradbury, Internet billionaire and stone-cold salt and pepper fox, offers her a solution to all her financial troubles. It’s hard enough for Kayla to accept his generosity, but what’s a girl to do when the wealthiest man she’s ever met is a dream in and outside of the bedroom?

Rebekah Weatherspoon was raised in Southern New Hampshire and now lives in Southern California with a great human, one cat whom she loves dearly and another cat she wants to take back to the shelter. You can find out more about Rebekah and the steamy, funny romance she writes at rebekahweatherspoon.com or find her on Facebook or Twitter.